Blog containing my rituals and practices. I follow the Norse gods, but am neither a Wiccan nor a strict reconstructionist. My focus is on the spiritual, mystical, and magickal aspects of Heathenism and forms of practice that make Heathenism valid for the modern times, and present day needs, and as a path towards enlightenment and spiritual growth.

Need:
• drinking horn
• mead
• spring water in small bowl
• fresh pine twig
• offering bowl
• candles
• wand (if you don’t have one you can use your fingers instead)
• Thor’s Ritual Hammer (optional, can use it for the Hammer Hallowings)
• Solar symbols or a representation of Sunna or the sun.
• Symbols of and/or representations of Odin.

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This ritual, as are all Heathen or northern rituals, is done while facing north, except where otherwise noted. The altar should be such that it is in front of you when you face north.

If you don’t know how to pronounce the runes see my webpage on how to pronounce them here.

–

Put spring water in small bowl. Trace 3 Laguz runes over it.:

“LAGUZ… LAGUZ… LAGUZ”

“From the Well of Wyrd does this water flow, and to the Well of Wyrd does it return”

–

Make Hammer Sign at item and then splash each ritual item with blessed water using the pine twig and for each item say:

“I bless this ______ with the waters of the Well of Wyrd”

–

Now trace Hammer Sign at person being blessed and/or self and splash them with water using twig.

“I bless ______ with the waters of the Well of Wyrd”

–

Use twig to splash ritual space with water.

“I bless this space with the waters of the Well of Wyrd”

–

Few silent deep breaths.

–

All stand in Elhaz position.

“Bi-Frost’s rainbow light shine down upon this space and myself so that I may form a portal between the worlds of Asgard and Midgard”

–

Few silent deep breaths.

–

All face north and trace the Hammer Sign while chanting:

“Hammer in the north hallow and ward this stead”

All turn east and trace the Hammer Sign while chanting:

“Hammer in the east hallow and ward this stead”

All turn south and trace the Hammer Sign while chanting:

“Hammer in the south hallow and ward this stead”

All turn west trace the Hammer Sign while chanting:

“Hammer in the west hallow and ward this stead”

All return to north and look up and trace Hammer sign while chanting:

“Hammer above hallow and ward this stead”

All look below and trace Hammer sign while chanting:

“Hammer below hallow and ward this stead”

–

Return to facing north and all stand in the Elhaz position and chant:

“Around me and within me Asgard and Midgard”

and move into the Dagaz position in the end.

–

Few silent deep breaths.

–

(Highly recommended optional casting of the rune ring)

(face north and trace the rune shape in the air before you using your wand and loudly chant: “FEHU!”)

“Now is Yule, the time when the light of the world is at it’s dimmest. This is a time when our mind focus is turned the most inward to the inner spiritual world. At this time we are made to look deeply into the dark and dusty corners of our very soul. This is a part of the yearly process of the seasons that we turn inward like this. At this time things seem at their darkest and most gloomy. Yet this is a time for celebration, for the light of the world is starting the long journey back to it’s peek again. At this time we are to be aware that the next season is yet ahead of us. Warm and sunny times await us in the coming year. Take joy in all that we have accomplished in the year that is now passing, and look forward to all which we shall enjoy in the next year cycle yet to come. Sunna the Sun Goddess is beginning the process of returning warmth, light, and cheer to the world, as the length of the days from this point on shall only grow longer.”

“This also marks the early part of a time of 12 days in which the energies of the world seem to be at their most chaotic, as the energies of the old cycle are swept away to make way for the start of the new. During this period it is easy to be swept into the turbulent emotional energies of this process, and thus we must guard against this possibility. It is a time best to stay indoors as much as possible and enjoy the safety and warmth of our homesteads. This process of the sweeping away of the old energies to make way for the new, is known by the Norse as the Wild Hunt. Odin is the God who leads this Wild Hunt. This is the end of the part of the year that is his reign, as God of inner journeys, he rules the half of the year in which the light is withdrawing, but this part of the cycle now draws to a close with this final process of the Wild Hunt.”

–

Few silent deep breaths.

“Be still now for a few moments and feel the energies that are present at this time of year.”

“Hail Odin, as he clears away the energies of the old year during the Wild Hunt!”

All chant:

“Hail Odin!”

Drink some of mead and pass horn. Pour remaining into offering bowl.

–

Use the pine twig to splash a bit of the liquid in the offering bowl on yourself, on any others in the ritual with you, on your altar, on the ritual space, and in all general areas of your dwelling as well. Does not need to be much splashed around, just a little is fine. This helps to imbue more of the energies of the ritual on you, and others who may also in the ritual with you, and to your place.

–

“Now my rite has ended. May all gathered here fare well on their return to their home places. And may the bonds of frith between us grow, gods, wights, and humans alike. Until we meet again.”

–
–

Pour out the offerings from the offering bowl outside:

“A gift for a gift”

Trace gebo at spot offerings were given to.

“GEBO!”

Pour out remaining blessed water outside.

“I pour the sacred water back to the Earth so it may find it’s way back to the Well of Wyrd”

–

Now at this point it is very important to ground your energies. This should always be done after every ritual. Not doing so can lead to problems in the long-run. Grounding is like shifting gears in a car, except it is the process of shifting brain states. During rituals you create a trance like brain state, which is desired for during rituals or for during any spiritual practices. But trance states are not good for doing everyday mundane things. You need to return your mind back to the normal state of consciousness after the ritual is finished. That is what grounding is.

The most simple and common method to ground is to visualize yourself as a tree and see roots growing into the ground from the base of your spine and going down into the earth. Sometimes rituals require industrial strength grounding as they can really create some intense energy. In that case you can try the following triple grounding method.:

First visualize your chakras. You picture in your mind closing first the top one and then seeing a sort of lid closing over it, then proceed with the net lower chakra and so on. You want to leave the bottom most chakra, the root chakra fully open as this is your connection to grounding. Don’t be concerned about having the others closed, the normal proper function of them is that they open and close as needed. Problems with being ungrounded happen when one of more of them are stuck open. Only the bottom one is to be left open at all times.

Next step is to picture a ball of pure white light above your head. Now let this white light slowly descent downward into your body and slowly move lower. As it descends it takes with it any unneeded, old, and negative energies. It is sort of sweeping downward through your energies taking all you no longer need with it. Once it reaches your feet let it move lower till it passes down through the floor. If you are on an upper close let it pass all the way to the ground. Let the earth take this energy to recycle it.

Now final step is to do the traditional grounding. Picture yourself as a tree. Visualize roots coming out of the base of your spine and going down into the Earth. Feel the calmness of a tree, the rooted solidness.

If after these three things you still feel hyper or spaced out you can either eat some food, or put a small amount of salt on your tongue. Another thing you can do is prostrate down to the ground, placing your head on the ground and stay like this for a few moments.

–

Feel free to copy and use this ritual so long as you acknowledge the source.

This is a spiritual exercise to be done every day or even if wanted more then once a day. The purpose of this ritual is many-fold. It helps to clear the energies of an area and drive away away negative energies which may be present. It also sets up a powerful field of protection on the doer that lasts for awhile. It banishes any negative energies that may be at work on the doer. As well it invokes spiritual energy from the World-Tree Yggdrasil, as well as spiritual energy from the runes if that optional runic part is done, into the one doing the ritual. All told this is a very useful ritual to do on a everyday basis. No other opening or closing ritual is needed for this.

Optionally you can use a wand for this ritual or if not can just use your fingers, using the first two fingers as pointer fingers like a sort of finger wand. You should use your right hand.

-The Ritual-

Start by facing east. Picture in your minds eye over your head a powerful white light energy. Reach up with your wand or fingers and draw this ball of energy with your wand and touch your forehead and loudly call out in a galdr (chanting) tone:

“ASGARD!”

Briefly now touch your heart area and then point your wand or fingers down towards the floor and loudly call out in galdr:

“MIDGARD!”

Now touch your right shoulder:

“MUSPELHEIM!”

Touch your left shoulder:

“NIFLHEIM!”

Now bring both hands together like a prayer pose at your heart, the wand can be between the hands:

“ALFHEIM”

Make a Hammer Sign to the east:

“Thor Hallow!”

Make a Hammer sign to the south:

“Thor Hallow!”

Now make a Hammer sign to the west:

“Thor Hallow!”

Make a Hammer sign to the north:

“Thor Hallow!”

Face again east and extend both hands outward and hold them this was for the next parts.:

In a chanting voice:

“Hail Odin who is before me.”

“Hail Freyja who is behind me. ”

“Hail Thor who is on my right. ”

“Hail Freyr who is on my left.”

“For about me flames Mjolnir.”

“And in the column stands the great tree, Yggdrasil”

Now we repeat the first part:

See the light above your head and draw it down and touch your forehead with the wand or fingers:

“ASGARD”

Briefly touch your heart area and then point your wand or fingers down towards the floor:

“MIDGARD!”

Touch your right shoulder:

“MUSPELHEIM!”

Touch your left shoulder:

“NIFLHEIM!”

Bring both hands together like a prayer pose at your heart, the wand between the hands:

“ALFHEIM”

-(Optional rune ring invoking)-

At this point now stand facing north and now start with the first rune Fehu while facing north and each rune turn an 1/8th turn. This should make for 3 circles as you chant all 24 runes. If you don’t know how to properly pronounce the runes then you can learn how to pronounce them at this page, or skip this part as it is optional anyways.

Face north and trace the rune shape in the air before you using your wand and loudly chant: “FEHU!”

Face north-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “URUZ”

Face east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “THURISAZ”

Face south-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “ANSUZ”

Face south and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “RAIDHO”

Face south-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “KENAZ”

Face west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “GEBO”

Face north-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “WUNJO”

Face north and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “HAGALAZ”

Face north-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “NAUDHIZ”

Face east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “ISA”

Face south-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “JERA”

Face south and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “EIHWAZ”

Face south-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “PERTHRO”

Face west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “ELHAZ”

Face north-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “SOWILO”

Face north and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “TIWAZ”

Face north-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “BERKANO”

Face east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “EHWAZ”

Face south-east and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “MANNAZ”

Face south and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “LAGUZ”

Face south-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “INGWAZ”

Face west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “DAGAZ”

Face north-west and trace the rune shape and loudly chant: “OTHALA”

-Grounding-

This last part is not optional. It is important to always ground after any ritual. One simple way to do this, is picture a ball of light over your head, and let this ball of light slowly descend into your body. As it does let it take with it any excess, negative, old, and/or unneeded energies. Let this ball of light descend all the way down through you till it gets to your feet and then let it drop into the floor and keep going into the Earth, taking all the unneeded energies with it to be recycled by the Earth. Not grounding after every ritual can have very adverse effects about you in the long run, even in the short term can have bad results so always ground after all rituals. Another common way to ground is to picture yourself as a tree and see yourself having roots that grow into the Earth. Also after any major ritual you can eat a little food as a way to ground too. But for this daily ritual eating as a way to ground is not a good way to go unless you time the doing of this ritual for right before one of your normal meals.

–

Feel free to copy and use this ritual so long as you acknowledge the source.

These highest words hold truth indeed–
they do not waver from wisdom’s path:
The boughs reach above, the roots run below–
yet one and the same is the seed of the tree,
one the wood that binds the worlds.
From fire and ice Ymir grew forth,
from Ymir’s flesh all things were shaped
when Buri’s kin brought forth the worlds.

From fire and ice Ymir grew forth–
Muspell’s sparks melted the frost.
The High One’s brothers shaped his body,
marked out Midgard as man’s first home.

Hard the tree that holds the fire,
keeper and quickener of every kindred–
the tree holds that Rune wrought before all,
the Spell first spoken, that sped the worlds.

Strong is the tree, for it stands in the earth–
the ground below gives roots their might.

With skill the smith skims off the slag,
with wisdom crafts the well-made sword
that cleaves away the weak and worthless.

The rainbow rises from ripened fields–
sun-fire woven through waters above.
Over that bridge the bold one rides,
bringing the harvest that home fields gave;
from Asgard he fetches the fiery gold.
Homeward he rides, holding within him
the fire that thwarts the thurses’ cold.

These are staves stronger than all:
like Sunna’s shield that shines through the clouds,
blazes through ice and breaks its hold.

This is the way that worlds were made.

Thus also the wise bring wonders forth.

Now you shall know what names are mine:
I am the High One, the Highest and Third:
I am the Galdor-God who hung
between the worlds to win the runes;
Odin, Allfather, eldest of gods.

Now the spell is spoken through–
the High One’s song in the hall has ended.

The following are invocations for Norse gods, goddesses, and wights. Many are based on kennings from the Skaldskaparmal in the Prose Edda. Please feel free to copy and use any of these invocations on your own website or in your own rituals!

Hail Thor! Son of Odin and Jord. Father of Magni, Modi, and Thrud. Husband of Sif. Stepfather of Ullr. Ruler and owner of Mjollnir, the Girdle of Might, and Bilskirnir. Defender of Asgard and Midgard. Enemy and slayer of giants and troll-wives!

Sif

Hail Sif! Wife of Thor. Golden-haired. Mother of Ullr. Grain goddess!

Balder

Hail Balder! Son of Odin and Frigg. Husband of Nanna. Father of Forseti. Owner of Hringhorni and Draupnir. Enemy of Hodr. Hel’s companion. Most fair of gods!

Njord

Hail Njord! Husband of Skadi. Dweller in Noatun. Seafarers god. Descendant of the Vanir. Father of Freyr and Freyja. Lover of boats. Fairest of feet!

Hail Freyr! Son of Njord. Brother of Freyja. Husband of Gerd. Trusted friend of Skirnir. Descendant of the Vanir. Harvest god and wealth-giver. King of Alfheim. Blot-god of the Swedes. Possessor of Skidbladnir, and the boar known as Gullinbursti. Beli’s slayer. Enemy of Surtr. Wielder of the stag-horn. Fruitful one. Sure giver. Father of the Yngling line. Lord of the Volsi!

Hail Heimdall. Son of nine mothers. Guardian of the gods. Enemy of Loki, and recoverer of Freyja’s Brisingamen. Owner of the horse Gulltopp. Bifrost’s watchman. All-hearing one. Father of the three kindreds!

Hail Loki! Odin’s blood-kin. Son of Farbauti and Laufey. Father of Fenriswolf, and Jormungand. Comrade and table-companion of Odin and the Aesir. Thief of Brisingamen, and Idunn’s Apples. Relative of Sleipnir. Husband of Sigyn. Enemy of gods. Sif’s hair-harmer. Maker of mischief. Cunning god. Accuser and tricker of the gods. Contriver of Balder’s death!

Aegir

Hail Aegir! Husband of Ran. Ale-brewer. Gatherer of sea-gold. Father of the nine waves. Feast-friend of the Aesir and the drowned. Keeper of the great kettle!

Hail Holda! Dweller in Venusberg. Guardian of unborn children. Maker of snow. Giver of flax. Keeper of the waters of fertility. White goddess. Lady of the wild hunt. Overseer of the distaff at Mothers’ Night!

Lofn

Hail Lofn! Helper of lovers unable to wed!

Var

Hail Var! Witness to all oaths. Foe to all who break them!

Saga

Hail Saga! Benchmate of Odin. Lady of Sokkvabekk. Seer of the times. Talespinner!

Meta

Blogroll

A Heathen's Path
– His getting started entries are very good heart felt information about practicing Heathenism. Very nice easy down to earth approach to the practice. Recommended.

Amarina's Journey
– An interesting journal about a mystical Norse spiritual journey. Recommended. Contains adult content. Is connected to Freyja’s path. She also made my rune graphics I use on my blog and websites.

Essential Asatru
– This is the best book to get for anyone new to Heathenism. It gives a very well researched, accurate, fair and balanced perspective on things. Highly recommended.

Futhark
– This is the first book to start with for learning the runes and the magickal systems related to them. First before starting to study the runes though gain a complete knowledge of the gods and goddesses and Norse cosmology and understand wyrd.

Ingeborg's Norse Heathen Pages
– This is a mirror site of my friend Ingeborg’s old webpage on Heathenism. It has not been updated in a long time. She was the one who taught me Heathenism way back in time. She is extremely knowledgable on the subject.

Nine Worlds Travel Guide
– Fancinating modern lore on the nine worlds derived from present day shaman’s traveling there. It has lots of details and includes places, things, and beings of all the various worlds and places. Very recommended.

Northern Tradition for the Solitary Practitioner
– Once you are already practicing Heathenism and know it fairly well, this is a must read book. It is all about making your practice more spiritually focused. Ignore the Loki and giant stuff in it.

Our Troth Book 1
– Very in depth well research, HUGE, two set of books. Once you get past the beginner stage you should tackle reading these. Between the both of them they are close to 1000 pages, so not for the beginner anyways.

Our Troth Book 2
– This is the second book of Our Troth. Just as massively filled with information as the first one.